Display-rack.



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DISPLAY RACK. JAPPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, I914. 172 799 Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 15, 1914.

' Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

WILLIAM T. HORMES, OF GOVANS, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T SOLOMO1 T HIMMEL, 0F

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM T. HonMns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Govans, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in display racks of the type which is inclosed within a suitable protecting casing, and movable into and out of the latter to facilitate inspection and handling of the articles or merchandise on display.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby the merchandise to be displayed may be conveniently and compactly stored in dust-proof cases, and yet be readily accessible for exhibiting to a customer by a salesman.

A further object is to provide means for supporting hats or other similar articles to be displayed, in a new and novel manner.

A further object is to provide means which will permit rearrangement of the supporting devices at will.

A further object is to provide a knockdown structure which maybe conveniently packed for shipping and readily assembled when it reaches its destination.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a front view of a show case with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectional view on the line 22 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view illustrating one of the hat supports. Fig. 4: is a detail view illustrating the corner connection. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the method of supporting the horizontal rods. Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of slight modifications.

Referring to the drawings,l0 designates a case of any suitable or preferred structure, the bottom of which is. provided with a channel. Located on opposite sides of said channel and parallel with the walls thereof, are guides 12 between which a carriage 13 is mounted to reciprocate. Said carriage is provided with a tubular boss 14: which rotatably supports a shaft 15. The lower end of the shaft 15 projects belowthe carriage and is provided with a cross piece 16 havin rollers 17 which engage guides 18, said guides being united at their outer ends by aclrcularv portion 19. The construction is such that when the carriage is moved inwardly the rollers 17 are brought into alinement with the space between the straight portlons of the guides 18, so that rotation of the shaft is prevented. When the carr age is moved to the forward or outer pos tlon, the rollers 17 engage. the circular portlon 19, thereby permitting the shaft to rotate. The foregoing arrangement is described merely for purposes of illustration and I do not desire to limit myself thereto as any of the other well known forms of reclprocating carriages and locking and unlocking devices may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Secured to the shaft 15 are spaced apart upper and lower cross heads 16 each provided with a tubular boss for engaging the shaft, the arms of the crossheads being of U-shape in cross section.v Supporting bars 17 connect the ends of the respective cross heads, said supporting bars being formed of channel iron and having their ends inserted within the trough-like portions of said cross heads, the parts being connected by suitable removable securing devices, such as pins 18. Similar supporting bars 17 extend between the cross heads adjacent the shaft 15. By this arrangement a very rigid framework of simple construction is secured to and supported by the shaft 15. Extending between the supporting bars 17 and 17 are a plurality of horizontal rods 19, serving as supporting and abutment members, said supporting bars being preferably provided with key hole slots 20 to receive the ends of said rods, which ends are provided with grooves 21 to engage the edges of the restricted portions ofsaid slots. By means of this arrangement the rods 19 may be removed at will and interchangeably used as supporting members or abutment members. The hat supports each consist of a metal rod 22 bent to form parallel arms 23, the ends of said arms being provided with hook-like portions 24, the extremities of said rod being bent outwardly to form fingers 25. If desired, the hat supports may be provided with off-set portions 26 to enter a hat for the purpose of preventing displacement thereof. By providing the alternate hat holders with the raised portions 27, (see Fig. 9) thehats are supported in such a manner that the brims of hats'supported by the next adjacent holders will not rest one upon each other, but will be in different planes. By this arrangement, also the hat holders may be placed closer together. In practice a hat support may be placed'in any desired position along one of the rods 19 by passing the hook-like portions 24 over the top of the rod, which serves as a supporting member, and to the rear thereof and causing the fingers 25 to pass to the front of and engage the next lower rod or abutment member. In this way the hook portions 24: and fingers support the weight of the hat support and articles resting thereon. It is obvious that the hat supports may be moved to any position longitudinally of the rods by slightly raising the outer end of the hat support and then sliding the same along the upper rod. As soon as released the hat holder will remain in the adjusted position.

From the foregoing it will be readily um derstood that when the rack is to be shipped to a customer, the rods 19 may be disengaged from bars 17, 17", the latter disconnected from the cross-heads 16, and the cross-heads disconnected from the shaft, permitting the parts to be packed in a very compact manner. It is obvious that little or no difficulty will be encountered in reassembling the parts. I

In Fig. 7 I have shown a slight modification in which the horizontal rods 28 are arranged in pairs and the hat supports made so that the hooks 29 engage the upper rod of a pair and the fingers 30, the lower rod of the same pair.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the holder 31 as having an upturned portion 32, for the purpose of retaining shelves, or other forms of merchandise.

Fig. 10 illustrates the preferred form of construction and illustrates the novel method of supporting the hat holders in staggered arrangement in such manner that space may be e'conomized, the rack be made to carry a maximum number of hats and in such mannor that the brims will not touch those of the hats on the next adjacent holders as would be the case if the same quantity were stored with all the hat holders being in the same plane.

It sometimes happens that the rod 19" if supported at the ends only, will sag under the weight of the hats and hat holders. To overcome this condition flat bars 33 may be employed, if desired, said bars having holes corresponding in number to the number of rods 19, whereby said bars may readily slide over said rods. By this arrangement the middle of each rod 19 is supported by the other rods 19 through the medium of bars 83, and said bars may also be adjusted longitudinally of said rods so as not to interfere with the placing of the holders 23.

Having thus explained the nature of my though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what I claim is 1. An improvement in display ,rackscomprising a rotatable shaft, means for supporting the same, a plurality of removable and interchangeable rods supported by said shaft, and holding members having their inner ends provided with hook-portions,-the hook portions of each holding member being passed back of one rod at any point throughout the length thereof and between the lat ter and the next lower rod, and engaging the front of said next lower rod, whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting and abutment members.

2. An improvement in display racks comprising a rotatable shaft, means for sup porting the same, spaced apart cross heads secured to said shaft, supporting bars con necting said cross heads, removable and in terchangeable rods supported by said supporting bars and article holders having hook portions, the hook portions of each holder being passed back to one rod at'any point throughout the length thereof and between the latter and the next lower rod,

and engaging the front of said next lower rod, whereby said rods may be inter changeably used as supporting and abutmerit members.

3. An improvement in display racks com-.

prising a rotatable shaft, means for supporting the same, spaced apart cross heads se cured to said shaft and U-shape in cross section, interchangeable bars having their ends extended into the open portions of said cross heads, carrier rods supported by said supporting bars, and article holders having hook portions, the hook portions of each carrier being passed back of one rod at any point throughout the length thereof and between the latter and the next lower rod, and engaging the front of said next lower rod, whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting and abutment members.-

4. As an improvement in display racks, carrying rods, means for interchangeably supporting the same, and an article holder having hook portions passed back of one rod and between the latter and the next lower rod at any point throughout the length thereof, and engaging the front of said next lower rod, whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting and abutment members.

5. As an improvement in display racks, carrying rods, means for interchangeably supporting the same, and an article holder having hook portions engaging one of said rods at any point throughout the length thereof and terminating in fingers engaging J 30 the next lower rod, whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting and abutment members.

6. As an improvement in display racks, carrying rods, means for interchangeably supporting the same, and an article holder formed of a metal rod bent to provide parallel arms the ends of which are bent to form hooks to engage one of said rods at any point throughout the length thereof, the extremities of said hooks being bent to form fingers to engage the next lower rod, whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting and abutment members.

7. An improvement in display racks comprising a rotatable shaft, cross heads detachably connected thereto, supporting bars detachably connected to said cross heads, rods detachably connected with said supporting bars, and detachable article holders supported by a plurality of said rods.

8. An improvement in display racks comprising carrying rods, means for supporting the rods one above the other, article holders supported by said rods and arranged in rows, the bodies of alternating holders of each row being in a slightly higher plane than the remaining holders.

9. An improvement in display racks comprising carrying rods, means for supporting the rods one above the other, and a plurality of article holders arranged in rows each formed of a metal rod bent to form parallel arms, the extremities of which engage said rods, the bodies of alternating holders of each row being bent to locate the same in a higher plane than the bodies of the remaining holders.

10. An improvement in display racks comprising carrying rods, means for supporting the rods one above the other, detachable article holders adjustably supported by said rods and arranged in rows, the bodies of alternating holders of each row being in a slightly higher plane than the remaining holders.

11. As an improvement in display racks, carrying rods, means for interchangeably supporting the same, and article holders each having hook portions engaging one of said rods at any point throughout the length thereof, and terminating in fingers engaging the next lower rod whereby said rods may be interchangeably used as supporting or abutment members, the bodies of alternate article holders being bent to locate the same in a higher plane than the bodies of the remaining holders.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM T. HORMES.

WVitnesses:

G. W. S. MUSGRAVE, JAMES BEMESTEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

